POLS 207 Exam 1 TAMU Jason Smith

Know which level of government is responsible for which different policies:

state and local government -

- determine the accessibility of education on al levels, including university and fund many public universities. They also have control over curriculum that will be taught in each establishment.

- The state and local government is also responsible for sewer and water systems.

- speed limits are also controlled by the local government.

- Vaccine rollout is also the responsibility of the state

- state manage drinking age

- states manage marriages

state powers higher than local

(you can sue the state and it can be taken to the supreme court)

national government -

- mandates drinking age at 21, any state that does not comply gets funding removed

- congress writes policy for the nation

local power

- the national government can override state laws.

What is policy conservatism?

Policy conservatism refers to a states tendency to limit welfare benefits, deregulate business, keep taxes low, and generally place less reliance on government and more reliance on individuals and the marketplace to achieve social goals.

What is policy liberalism?

Policy liberalism refers to a states tendency to expand welfare benefits, regulate business, adopt progressive state income taxes, and generally use the resources of government to achieve social change.

From where do state and local governments derive their revenue?

Majority of local governments: revenue comes from property, sales, and income taxes

Majority of state governments: revenue comes from intergovernmental transfers (federal

grants)

Know the different types of government systems (federalism, unitary, confederation)

federalism = shared power - there is federalism in America because America fought against unitary power because the colonies could not gain power and shay's rebellion was the fight against the confederation. the US needs the overlap of "shared power" to regulate power and decide what works within each area.

unitary = centralized power - you can create and stop power (ex. british parliament)

confederation = decentralized power - states give and take away national power. local government is a creation of the state

local power comes from the consent of the governed and granted permission by the state.

Why are state called "laboratories of democracy?"

laboratories of democracy is a metaphor that emphasizes the states' ability to engage in different policy experiments without interference from the federal government.

What is nullification?

states don't have to adhere to a law if they don't want to - does not exist in reality or in practice

What are enumerated or delegated powers?

grants of authority explicitly given by the constitution. this states that the constitution "shall be the supreme law of the land and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby." = federal law takes precedence over all other laws and the federal government to prempt or override state laws.

What are implied powers?

broad, but undefined, powers given to the federal government by the constitution.

basic idea - the authors of the constitution realized that they could not possibly list every specific power that the national government would require to meet the needs of a developing nation. this gives congress the flexibility to meet unforeseen challenges by granting the federal government a set of broad and largely undefined powers.

Know the 10th Amendment

the powers not delegated to the united states by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. this guarantees that a broad, but undefined, set of powers be reserved for the states and the people, as opposed to the federal government

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established judicial review; power of the Supreme Court to authoritatively interpret the constitution

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Established national supremacy; established implied powers; use of elastic clause; state unable to tax fed.

Why are federal grants-in-aid important?

It's the cornerstone of the relationship between national and state governments. The money between governments.

Categorical grants: money with strings attached, must be spent on certain things.

General revenue sharing grants:

Federal grants-in-aid given with few constraints, leaving states and localities almost complete discretion over how to spend the money.

- project grants: based on merit/talent

- formula grants: amount varies based on formula

Block grants: money without strings attached.

Most grant in aid is heath and human services.

What are mandates?

mandates direct states or local government to comply with federal rules under threat of penalties or as a condition o receipt of a federal government

- unfunded mandates: given no money but the states are told they will mandate a law and the state HAS to work the new law into their budget

*typically these are the most well intentioned mandates

- funded mandates: "you will pass this law, but we are going to pay for it"

- underfunded mandates: "you're going to pass this law, but we will only pay for part of it and you, the state, have to come up with the rest of the money"

What is preemption?

the process of the federal government's overriding areas regulated by state laws, a higher level of government can override a lower level of government

Know what is usually contained in state constitutions

A) Bill of rights

B) Separation of Powers

C) Weak governors

D) Legislative powers to make laws

E) Local governments

F) Interest group regulation

G) Taxation and Finance

H) Debt limitation

What is constitutionalism?

Synonymous with Limited Government

- Government of laws, not people, operating on the principle that government power should be limited, that government officials should be restrained in their exercise of power over individuals

Why are state constitutions long?

This is the result of the state constitutions are easier to amend. Because of this, state constitutions are amended and added on to fairly often.

the US constitution is more of a framework of basic ideas, and it does not get into specifics. The specifics come into play in the case of state constitutions which explains why they are generally so much longer.

From where do local governments derive their power?

from the level of power above them instead of getting their power directly from the citizens, but they do not simply take orders, local governments have independent taxing authority and broad discretion to act within their designated policy jurisdiction

How do most states amend their constitution?

Legislative proposal- most common - an amendment which is passed by the legislature and put to the voters in a referendum

Popular initiative - citizens can bypass the legislature for a direct vote if they obtains a requisite number of petition signatures

Constitutional revision commissions - most effective - most effective but is rarely used

Know the functions of counties and cities

counties - the county government is the keeper of public records (such as property deeds, birth and death certificates, and mortgages) and an administrator of property taxes, local road maintenance, election results certification, criminal courts and jails run by county sheriffs.

cities - are legal entities incorporated under state law for the purpose of self-government at the local level. cities are considered bottom-up creations. a local community seeks the authority of self-governance by incorporating itself as a legal entity with certain powers and responsibilities under state law. they are formed by associations of citizens rather than brought to life as a designated subunits of states. Municipalities are general-purpose governments that provide a range of public services and address a variety of political issues at the local level. the governance arrangements vary - the municipal governance system is divided into four basic types: the mayor-council system, the city manager system, the commission system, and the town meeting system

What do special districts do?

local governmental units usually charged with performing a single function; often overlap municipal and county boundaries. Basically, these units are special-purpose governments and are put in charge of administering a particular function or service on a metro-wide or a city-wide level. These things could include a park, sewer system, water, parking, airport, planning or authority. Other types of special districts administer firefighting and housing services, public transportation, soil conservation, mosquito control, and even libraries.

Know the different types of elections

at-large elections = elections in which city or county voters vote for council or commission members from any part of the jurisdiction

single member district = vote within their defined areas

combination election = combination of the two

nonpartisan election = election in which the candidates' name appears on the ballot without indication of their political affiliation

- incumbent advantage = incumbent council members are elected at very high rates in non partisan elections

Know the different political cultures

traditionalistic - stresses that politics is for the elite - social networks matter!! its who you know, not what you know A political culture that views politics and government as the means to achieve the collective good

moralistic - government is a good ting - help man find good in society - should be active to promote equality (liberal ideology & not typically supported by texas)

individualistic - government acts as a supply and demand (& only when it is demanded by the people) **idea of limited government is prevalent around texas!

What is the political culture of Texas?

Individualistic (government only comes when we need it) & Traditionalistic

What is the philosophy behind the current Texas Constitution?

Needed due to Governor Davis corruption and power

imbalance allowed in 1869 Constitution

Four goals in this constitution:

1. Strong popular control of government (voters)

2. Powers were to be limited

3. Restrain spending

4. Promote agriculture interests

Know the historical development of the Texas Constitution

1. constitution of coahuila y tejas

2. republic of texas

3. texas state constitution of 1847

4. confederate constitution of 1861

5. constitution of 1866

6. reconstruction constitution of 1869

7. constitution of 1876

-texas has had 7 constitutions total - 5 state and 2 prior to becoming a state

When did Texas become a state?

1845

current texas constution

1876

Know the political climate of the Constitutional Convention of 1875

Mostly democrat. Lots of farmers/ members of the Grange.

Anti-big government as a result of the terrible Davis administration.

What are the differences between the Bill of Rights in the Texas and U.S constitutions

Texas Bill of Rights was written directly into article 1 of the constitution whereas the US

bill of rights is all amendments. The Texas Bill of Rights also has equal rights laws.

Also in different order of than US bill of rights. Also the Texas on has positive laws, laws

that say what the government can do to you; Texas’s is much longer and more detailed

(10x length)

What were the conditions of the annexation agreement for Texas to join the United States in 1845?

1. break texas into 4 states to offset slavery under the Missouri compromise

2. texas debt would not be paid off (54 million in debt)

US uses Texas as a launch pad for the Mexican American war

What is the process to amend the Texas and U.S. Constitutions?

Mainly legislative proposal

Legislature proposes amendments.

• A majority of state voters must approve.

• Majority of those who vote; turnout usually low

• Thus a low number of actual votes needed

How has federalism evolved over time?

Shift from dual federalism to cooperative federalism after great depression when states could not support themselves, but the federal government had enough money to do so

Federalism has decreased

- National government has more

power over time (New Deal,

Great Depression, etc)

types of federalism

Dual Federalism A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policiesdual-layer cake; where state power begins, federal power ends

Cooperative Federalism A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. cooperative-marble cake; federal government reached into state

Know different types of city governments

Commission - Power given to about 5 people

Council-Manager - We vote for council, they appoint manager who appoints heads of departments

mayor-council - We vote council, we vote mayor (others where mayor is appointed)

16th Amendment

Federal Income Tax

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of senators (instead of being chosen by state legislatures)

Who were the Radical Republicans?

They called themselves "Radicals" because of their goal of immediate, complete, and permanent eradication of slavery in the United States. The Radical faction also included, though, very strong currents of nativism, anti-Catholicism, and in favor of the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.

What is a city charter?

A city charter is a legal document that establishes a city's government structure, defines its responsibilities, and protects citizens' rights. It's similar to a constitution for a city. 

What is an eminent domain?

the legal power of a government to take private property for public use, without the owner's consent, but with the requirement to provide "just compensation" to the property owner; essentially, the government can seize land for public projects like roads or parks, but must pay the owner a fair market value for the property taken

38) What does home rule mean?

power granted to a local government, like a city or county, to govern itself with a degree of autonomy, allowing it to make decisions on local issues without excessive interference from the state government, essentially giving citizens the ability to manage their own affairs at the local level; it is usually established through a local charter adopted by the community.

contracting of government services to private firms is referred to as

outsourcing

political culture is a term used to descibe

the broadly shared values and beliefs about the government

a belief that government is designed to promote the public good describes the _____ political culture

moralistic

Immigration policy is primarily a responsibility of the

national government

politics is often defined as

who gets what, when, and how

states have been called “laboratories of democracy” because

states often provide innovative solutions to social and economic problems

states and communities deal with which policy areas

public safety, transportation funding, healthcare

which is the following is the best description of Texas political culture

Traditionalistic-individualistic political culture

a state’s tendency to limit welfare benefits, deregulate business, keep taxes low, and generally place less reliance on government and more reliance on individuals and the marketplace to achieve social goals refers to as

political conservatism

state and local governments have the primary responsibility for ____ and provide most of the money to pay for it

education

those powers that are exclusively delegated to the national government are called

enumerated powers

which was not a goal for those writing the Texas Constitution?

giving independence to the judiciary by making all judges appointed, instead of elected

the most common method of amending state constitutions is through

legislative proposal

state constitutions contain all of the follow elements except

detailed limitations of the rights of citizens

the most significant expansion of constitutional power to the national government, as recognized in the McCulloch v. Maryland decision, was the broad interpretation of the

Necessary and Proper Clause

Philosophically, the Texas Constitution reflects a

distrust of politicians and political power

The main problem that stalled the admission of Texas into the US was

Texas’s overly large debt, which would have to be assumed by the federal government

The tenth amendment to the US Constitution affirmed the

states’ reserved powers

Popular initiatives allow citizens to place an amendment to a state constitution on the ballot

without the approval of the state legislature

The relationship between the states and the federal government changed dramatically soon after

the Great Depression began

Which type of federalism is characterized by a system of state and national governments with separate but distinct authority

dual

In an ____ system, local and regional governments derive authority from the national government

unitary

the model of federalism is sometimes described metaphorically as a marble cake

cooperative federalism

Before the ratification of the Constitution, the US was organized as a

confederation

The principal instrument used in the expansion of national power has been the

federal grants-in-aid program

orders to state and local governments to comply with congressional laws, either funded or unfunded, are called federal

mandates

The ____ Amendment says that those powers not given to the federal government and not prohibited to the states by the Constitution are reserved for the states and the people

tenth

Which of the following is an example of fiscal federalism

grants-in-aid

the type of federalism characterized by the national, state, and local governments working together to solve common policy problems is referred to as

cooperative federalism

a unit of local government created for the provision of specific services not provided by a general-purpose government is a

special district

a document that grants a city the power of self-government is called a

charter

Voter turnout in local elections is ____ than in state or national elections

substantially lower

The type of electoral system that was designed to promote a citywide approach to municipal problems is the

at-large election

in the US, county governments

are legal subdivisions of states responsible for a variety of services

constitutionally, local governments are creations of

state governments

what is the primary governing body of a city called

city council

the form of city government that vests the policy-making responsibility in an elected council and assigns administration to a professional manager is called the

council manager government

in the most council-manager cities the most important policy initiator is the

manager